Creswick, Victoria
| Creswick Victoria | |||||||
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 Former Town Hall | |||||||
  Creswick | |||||||
| Coordinates | 37°26′0″S 143°54′0″E / 37.43333°S 143.90000°ECoordinates: 37°26′0″S 143°54′0″E / 37.43333°S 143.90000°E | ||||||
| Population | 3,303 (2011)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3363 | ||||||
| Elevation | 430 m (1,411 ft) | ||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Hepburn | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Ballarat | ||||||
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Creswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia. It is located 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2011 census, Creswick had a population of 3,303. Creswick was named after the Creswick family, the pioneer settlers of the region.
History
The area was inhabited by the Wadawurrung people before white settlement. The pioneer white settlers were Henry, Charles and John Creswick, three brothers who started a large sheep station in 1842.
Creswick is a former gold-mining town, established during the Victorian gold rushes in the 1850s. The Post Office opened on 1 September 1854 but was named Creswick's Creek until around 1857.[2] The population reached a peak of 25,000 during the gold rush. Today, local industries include forestry, grazing and agriculture.
Creswick was the site of the New Australasian Gold Mine disaster on 12 December 1882, Australia's worst mining disaster in which 22 men drowned.[3]
The Town today
The original School of Forestry was established in 1910 by the Department of Forestry. It was the first institution set up in Victoria to train and accredit young foresters. Now the campus is part of The University of Melbourne. The campus is situated in Water Street and houses the School of Forest & Ecosystem Science, a highly regarded research and teaching institution.
Creswick has three primary schools, two government and one Catholic - Creswick Primary School, Creswick North Primary School and St Augustines respectively.
The town also has an aged care facility. John Curtin Aged Care was formerly the township's health care hospital, but was converted to a nursing home in 1998.
Features
Attractions
- The Creswick Market located at (Creswick Neighbourhood Centre), Victoria Street, Creswick. The 3rd Saturday of every month, 9:00am – 1:00pm, rain or shine. Come along to the Creswick Market and see a variety of stalls offering a different range of products from month to month. Including freshly ground coffee, local produce, handmade items, natural bathing and cleaning products, preserves, eggs, honey, artwork, plants and much more. Creswick Market brings together artists and crafters from the Hepburn Shire and throughout central Victoria.
- The Creswick Woollen Mills established in 1947 is the last remaining coloured spinning mill of its kind in Australia, still owned and run by the founders family. Still in operation today they produce beautiful natural fibre products such as woollen blankets, throws and accessories. The mill is open 7 days a week and operates a self-guided tour and shop.
Sport
- The Creswick Bowling Club, situated in the middle of town, offers lawn bowling for women and men during the spring, summer and autumn months.
- The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football League.[4]
- Golfers play at The Forest Resort on the Midland Highway.[5] The Forest Resort is a multi-storied building that is used for vacationing and conferences. It also has a well equipped gymnasium, heated pool, spa, library and health spa on the top floor.
Notable people
Creswick is the birthplace of the Lindsays, perhaps Australia's best known art family. Famous Lindsays (in birth order) were Percy Lindsay (landscape painter), Sir Lionel Lindsay (printmaker, painter and critic), Norman Lindsay (painter, sculptor and writer), Ruby Lindsay (illustrator) and Sir Daryl Lindsay (painter and arts administrator). Percy Lindsay painted many landscapes of the town and Norman Lindsay immortalised the town in his novel Redheap, a work that was banned for many years.
Other famous Creswickians include John Curtin, Australia's Prime Minister during World War II; Sir Alexander Peacock, a Victorian Premier; and Sir Hayden Starke, a Justice of the High Court.
Transport
Creswick is located on the Midland Highway. Creswick railway station is served by V/Line train services to Ballarat and Maryborough,[6] as well as buses from Ballarat operated by Davis Bus Service.[7]
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Creswick (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ↑ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 2008-04-11
- ↑ Gold-Net Australia Online - May 1999
- ↑ Full Points Footy, Creswick, retrieved 2008-07-25
- ↑ Golf Select, The Forest, retrieved 2009-05-11
- ↑ "New train service to Maryborough and Creswick". Metlink - Your guide to public transport in Melbourne and Victoria. www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ↑ "Ballarat - Creswick (Route 3)". Metlink - Your guide to public transport in Melbourne and Victoria. www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Creswick, Victoria. |
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